Starve-Out Stories Wanted

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

If you have ever experienced a 'Starve-Out' by a company can you please share your story with me here. Please name the company, how many months had you been with them before they tried to starve you out, what year it was and what did you do to get through it.

Thanks!

[Windwalker]

I don't mind giving you a "starve-out" story, but the name of the company goes in a PM.

I figured that for all the miles I was running, I should have been getting a better bottom line. Other O/O were trading in their old trucks and buying brand new ones, and I was looking at the payments they were making, and the home time there were getting, and I could not make the numbers add up with my settlements. Then, at Lancaster, NH, I was talking to another O/O with a truck 2 years older than mine. He was complaining that the owner was giving him loads that didn't pay the bills. The next time I was in the yard, his truck was in the shop, but the company owner's brother was the new owner of the truck. He was building up his own fleet of used trucks, and buying out the O/O within the company. The next trip out, I found out that I was next.

I delivered east of DC, and the return load came out of Baltimore. But, looking at the money and the miles, and it would not pay the fuel. I called the broker and got an earful. There was plenty of money for the load, and even a FSC. But, once he and the owner agreed on the price, his hands were tied. He apologized and said he didn't realize it was going to be an O/O taking the load. The top money for the load was more than double what it was paying.

So, the reason I could not understand how they other guys could buy a new truck was because they were getting top dollar, and I was getting bottom dollar for the same loads. I took the load, dropped it at the customer's location, and instead of picking up an empty trailer, I bob-tailed 1200 miles south to sign on with another company. The company owner's brother did not get my truck. I kept it for a couple more years, then let it go because I was retiring.

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

Thanks Windwalker! I didn't know stuff happens to O/O's too. I have heard about new drivers getting around 4 or 5 months into their new driving career, and then the company stops to give them loads. So they're sitting around, not making money, getting desperate because they have a family to feed, and they usually end up quitting before they have their 6 months of experience and in affect, ruining their truck driving career before it even began. If anyone has been through something like that I'd like to hear about it!

[One]

The type of companies that do that are usually the 'cheap freight' companies that underbid others and haul for pennies profit. They train rookies off the street to go into a training program and run the trainee and trainer as a team, effectively as cheap labor. Those are the ones that get all the loads. The solo drivers get the excess freight; WHen freight drops off, the teams that run cheaper get priority, crap loads like 300 miles run that cant deliver for another 2days are given to the solo driver.

[1-Up trucker]

i'm not sure if i am too late to share my story, much less if its what you are looking for, but it seems ever since I have paid off my truck with CR England, that they are making an attempt to starve me into a new lease. the previous 5 months to paying off my truck I was getting 6500+ miles per week, and pending I managed fuel just right was taking home roughly $1200. Now, over the past 6 months, I am struggling to get 4500 miles per week, am having to tap into reserve accounts that were set aside for slow weeks, just to have enough to afford the lifestyle i once had.

The second I told there little umbrella company to stick it where the sun dont shine regarding a new lease, is when my miles started dropping. I am currently in the market as an O/O to go somewhere else, that can pay a little better, or at least more steadily.

[DaveP]

i'm not sure if i am too late to share my story, much less if its what you are looking for, but it seems ever since I have paid off my truck with CR England, that they are making an attempt to starve me into a new lease. the previous 5 months to paying off my truck I was getting 6500+ miles per week, and pending I managed fuel just right was taking home roughly $1200. Now, over the past 6 months, I am struggling to get 4500 miles per week, am having to tap into reserve accounts that were set aside for slow weeks, just to have enough to afford the lifestyle i once had.

The second I told there little umbrella company to stick it where the sun dont shine regarding a new lease, is when my miles started dropping. I am currently in the market as an O/O to go somewhere else, that can pay a little better, or at least more steadily.

Surprised they'd cut back a good running team like that...

[Mr. Ford95]

That sounds like England for ya. If you want starve out stories, find a former or current England driver, they'd fill up a 500 page book in no time.

[cbff33]

6500 miles a week and u were only taking home 1200 bucks a week with a paid off truck? I am with England, truck is paid off, run solo, and on a crappy 1800 mile week I can take home 1000 bucks! I typically run 2800 to 3900 miles a week solo, and those checks art typically 1500 to 2200 bucks a week takehome.